The Two Masks of Vendetta by Tony Lee Moral
I had the pleasure of reading The Two Masks of Vendetta by Tony Lee Moral recently. As a mystery lover, I was curious to check out his work. Tony is a mystery and suspense author who’s published quite a few books. Some nonfiction about Alfred Hitchcock as well as some thrillers.
If you enjoy today’s blog post, you can read more thriller reviews here.
What is The Two Masks of Vendetta About?
Caught between love, lies, and criminals – Catriona Benedict’s life is about to take a deadly turn.
Catriona, a struggling actress in New York City, finds herself trapped in a dangerous web of secrets. Approached by the wealthy and charismatic Miles Kingston, she’s offered an incredible sum of money to pose as his wife – an arrangement that will help Miles secure his enormous inheritance. Eager to escape her financial woes, and her boyfriend’s debts to a violent loan shark, Catriona reluctantly agrees.
But as they toast to their union, there is a shocking murder, and a slew of suspects. The glamorous world of the Kingston family soon reveals its darker side. Now Catriona must race against time to clear her name and outwit a killer before she becomes the next target.
A stylish murder mystery filled with unexpected twists and unforgettable characters, this is a thriller that will keep you guessing until the very end.
My Initial Thoughts
I love a good murder mystery, so the plot of this novel is initially what attracted me to the story. But I was pleasantly surprised how easy it was to immerse myself in Catriona and Mario’s world.
Most of the books I read are set in present day, so it was fun to dive into a story that takes place in the past. I loved the different settings like Miles Kingston’s house as well as all of the different clubs and places Catriona visits in NYC.
A Promising Premise
A fake marriage as a means to an end? I was very intrigued by the premise of this story.
See, Catriona is an actress who recently lost her job. Meanwhile, her love Mario is a musician with quite a few debts piling up. So when Miles Kingston approaches her with an offer for thousands of dollars, it’s one that she can’t refuse.
All she has to do is pose as his wife for a while so that he can secure his inheritance. Then she can take her money and return to Mario and their life together.
Many Twists and Turns
To be completely honest, I am not well versed in movies. My parents didn’t show me a lot of films as a kid. So I am trying to make up for it as an adult. But with that being said, I have not seen many (or probably any) Alfred Hitchcock films.
So it was very interesting to dive into this story. Sometimes we saw things from Catriona’s point of view. And other times from Mario. Sometimes scenes cut off abruptly and I didn’t know what was going to happen next. It really added a lot of suspense to the story, and kept me turning the pages as quickly as possible.
When Catriona first “married” Miles and started attending different events with him it seemed so idyllic. He took her shopping and treated her to nice dinners. What a dream. But then the unthinkable happened and everything changed.
My Favorite Part
This is a no spoilers review, but I just had to tell you about one of my favorite elements of this story. The art! Miles Kingston is a very rich man with with lots of resources. And a big part of the story is about his family’s art collection. Grace, who is Miles cousin, is very territorial about the art and gets very upset when Catriona tries to get involved.
I enjoyed reading about the Kingston collection and the different parts that go into maintaining it.
Would I Recommend this Book?
Definitely! If you love mysteries and suspense, this book is write up your alley. The setting, the time period, and the characters all make for a very exciting story. And if you enjoyed the characters, it sounds like Tony Lee Moral will be writing more about Catriona and Mario in the future.
You can purchase your copy here. And guess what? It’s also available in Kindle Unlimited!
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